I grew up with Caleb Sterling. Fifteen years of friendship that blossomed into romance. I finally married him, believing we were destined for a happily ever after. I didn't expect that on our very first wedding anniversary, he would fly across the ocean to find his "one that got away." Furious, I chased after him to demand an explanation, only to be abandoned by him in a foreign bar, left to fend for myself. Months later, after enduring hell on earth, I escaped back to the States, covered in scars. I arrived just in time to find Caleb and his friends at a club, celebrating "The 191st Day Since Harper Vance Vanished." He held a drink, laughing. "Every day I spent with Harper was nauseating. If it weren't for her, Sienna and I would have been together years ago." I decided to grant his wish. I turned to leave. But then, he fell to his knees, weeping, begging me to love him again. 1 When I returned to Chicago, Caleb Sterling was throwing a party. A banner hung outside the VIP booth: [Celebrating 191 Days of Freedom from Harper Vance]. Standing outside the door, I heard Caleb’s voice, lazy and dismissive. "Harper finally learned her lesson. Women need to be taught a thing or two." "Harper's temper was insane. Only you could tolerate that, Caleb." "She used to be the Vance family heiress; everyone gave her a pass. Now that she’s broke, someone needed to humble her." "Honestly, our lovely Sienna is the real MVP here. One move and she tamed Harper completely." "The Vance family is bankrupt. Harper is going to cling to you even harder now, Caleb." Caleb scoffed loudly. "She really is like a piece of gum stuck to my shoe. Every day I was with her, I felt physically sick." Just as the words left his mouth, I pushed the door open. The rowdy atmosphere died instantly. I saw a mix of emotions in their eyes: surprise, contempt, resistance, and... shock. Their eyes widened in disbelief. The vibrant, proud Harper Vance of six months ago was gone. Standing before them was a skeletal figure, radiating the aura of someone already dead. Sienna Cole spoke first, her voice laced with feigned concern. "Harper? What happened to you? You look... terrible. Don't just stand there, come in and sit." I scanned the room. There was only one empty folding chair in the corner. Everyone else had their fixed spots. For instance, the seat next to Caleb now belonged to Sienna. I stood calmly. I didn't scream or throw a fit like I used to whenever I saw Sienna getting too close to Caleb. Sienna—gentle, beautiful, understanding Sienna. She was their goddess, the group favorite. In the past, every time I made things difficult for her, they hated me a little more. It was laughable. I was the one who grew up with them, yet now I was the intruder. Sienna coughed lightly behind her hand. Caleb immediately frowned with worry. "Are you deaf?" he snapped at me. "Didn't you hear Sienna? If you don't want to come in, then get lost. Don't leave the door open; she'll catch a cold." His voice was filled with the same old disgust and impatience. Six months. He had zero curiosity or concern about where I had been. I should have given up on him a long time ago. 2 I forced a smile. I reached into my bag and pulled out a manila envelope and a small box, sliding them across the table toward him. Inside the box was his proposal ring. To be accurate, it was a metal keyring he had casually taken off his car keys. It was too big, cheap, and rusting, but I had treated it like a diamond. Every time Sienna showed off the massive gems Caleb bought her, I told myself my keyring was more precious because it was a promise. How pathetic I was. If I had a real diamond, maybe I could have sold it to buy my father a decent grave plot. But thankfully, I didn't want any of it anymore. The envelope contained the divorce papers. I had already signed them. Caleb’s face darkened. He pursed his lips, staring at me. Sienna suddenly gasped, covering her mouth as she stepped back. "Harper, your hands... what happened?" Everyone’s gaze shifted to my hands. The back of my hand was swollen, purple, and covered in a dense cluster of needle marks. It looked horrifying. I calmly pulled my hand back into my sleeve and looked at Caleb. "Caleb, the divorce papers are signed. I’m sorry for tying you down with this marriage all these years. You’re free now." Caleb’s voice was icy. "Harper, what’s the play this time? Put away these cheap tactics. It’s disgusting." "You sign, we divorce, and you never have to be disgusted again," I said, turning to leave. "Fine! Great, Harper! You better be serious. Don't you dare regret this, and don't come crawling back like a pathetic dog begging to reconcile!" I didn't stop. I didn't look back. "See you at the courthouse." Behind me, the sound of shattering glass echoed from the booth. 3 On our first wedding anniversary, Sienna posted a single sentence on social media: [I wish he was here.] Caleb immediately flew to Europe to be with her. Angry and unwilling to accept that she was the shadow over my marriage, I followed him. I found them in a bar, embracing intimately. When I confronted him, Caleb looked at me like I was his enemy. His words were daggers. "What right do you have to control me? If not for you, Sienna and I would have been together ages ago." But I was the one dating him first. Sienna was the one who interfered, then dumped him, then came back. Why was it my fault? Blinded by rage, I smashed things. A shard of glass scratched Sienna’s finger. Panic-stricken, Caleb rushed her to the hospital, leaving me alone in a chaotic bar in a foreign country. That same night, back home, my father committed suicide by jumping off a building. I missed his final call because I was running for my life. I came back for two reasons: to bury my father, and to divorce Caleb. I lay on the bed in the small rental apartment, enduring the burning pain in my stomach. This tiny studio was the only asset left after the family bankruptcy. It was small, but it allowed me to sleep with dignity. 4 I was woken by violent banging on the door. My instinct was to curl into a ball inside the closet. It took me a moment to remember I was back in the US. I opened the door to find Caleb looking annoyed. "Are you dead? How could you not hear that?" He stopped mid-sentence, frowning as he looked me over. "Why do you look so pale? You're sweating. Are you sick?" Last night in the dim club, he only saw that I was thin. Today, in the daylight, I looked like a terminally ill patient. "Harper, what is wrong with you?" I shook my head. "Did you sign the papers? If you signed, let's go to the courthouse." Caleb’s face turned stormy. "Enough! Harper, I've tolerated you long enough. Haven't you acted out enough? Today it's divorce, tomorrow will you claim you have cancer just to get my attention? It’s useless! I don't care what you do. I will never love you!" "Good. After the divorce, I promise never to appear in front of you again." I pulled out my phone to book an appointment. Caleb snatched the phone and smashed it onto the floor. I immediately dropped to my knees, trying to reassemble the shattered pieces. This phone was a gift from a woman in the bed next to mine, just before she died. Caleb threw his wallet at my head. "Don't act like a beggar to get my pity. Buy a new phone. Keep the change. And don't use 'I don't have a phone' as an excuse to pester me." He stormed off. I looked at the cash in the wallet and laughed a dry, tearless laugh. If only he had given me this money six months ago... I wouldn't have had to run, I wouldn't have had to sell my body to science just to survive. I didn't use his money. I found an old brick phone in the apartment. I called Caleb’s assistant to come pick up the wallet. "Mrs. Sterling," the assistant said awkwardly. "I'm in a critical meeting. Could you bring it to the office?" In the past, Caleb forbade me from entering his company. Even for urgent documents, he’d send someone home rather than let me visit. Now that we were divorcing, I didn't want to overstep. "You're busy. I'll figure something else out."
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